Other people’s words

Writers know all too well the power of words. The same twenty six letters can be used to capture someone’s imagination or reduce them to tears, and a skillful writer can wield the power of their pen to accomplish whichever goal they intended. It may seem counterintuitive, then, for a writer to use other people’s words, in the form of famous, inspirational or motivational quotes, to make connections.

Building a bridge

“Other people’s words are the bridge you use to cross from where you were to wherever you’re going.” -Zadie Smith

Using quotes can be a powerful way to connect with people – regardless of what prior relationship you may already have had with them. Even if you don’t know a person, they may share an appreciation for the one being quoted, instantly giving, Particularly on a social media network such as Twitter, it is possible to have hundreds of readers mere moments after posting. Your quote catches their eye and they retweet it, giving you an open door to further communication with people you have never reached before.

Establishing credibility

“Accuracy builds credibility.” – Jim Rohn

Quotes can be particularly useful when they are topical to your field. Sales personnel would identify with a quote by Zig Ziglar, techies with Steve Jobs and athletes with Michael Jordan. Selecting quotes that resonate with a target audience can establish credibility and demonstrate a kind of social proof that your ideals and purposes are in line with others in your field.

Motivational quotes for motivating the masses

“The secret to change is to focus all of your energy; not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” – Socrates

Life can be hard. It’s easy to become weary and worn-down in the sameness of everyday. A few words of encouragement or motivation can be enough to help push through the hurdle and move forward with dreams or plans. A quote is a powerful way to speak into someone’s life with words that propel them to the next stage or simply give them the motivation to keep going. Finding ways to encourage or inspire people can create opportunities for relationships.

A carefully selected quote can be a powerful asset. It can forge connections, demonstrate leadership and challenge people to change their life. The next time you aren’t sure what to say, or simply want to connect with others on a new level, let someone else do the talking for you.

NimbleQuotes.com is a content service for Twitter users that posts inspirational and motivational quotes to a person’s Twitter stream as if they’ve tweeted it themselves. Users find more retweets, followers and engagement as a result of adding NimbleQuotes to their existing content. Yes, we have a whole category of quotes about writing. Try it today for 30-days free. Article originally published in the PWAC Poke.